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North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Sean Howman, The Pamir highway in an unseasonably cold late October, Tajikistan

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Sean Howman,
The Pamir highway in an unseasonably
cold late October, Tajikistan



Trans Sahara Routes.

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  #1  
Old 20 Nov 2009
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Heated vest for Morocco in Jan
Would a heated vest be useful for Morocco in Jan on a bike?
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  #2  
Old 20 Nov 2009
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Depends where you are going.
There are bits that are warm all year round.
There are bits where you could be neck deep in snow in January.
Then again, the weather may be nice, even in the high atlas.

I know this isn't much help, but it was a pretty loose question.
Put "morocco climate" into google and take it from there.
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Old 20 Nov 2009
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The really cold part is riding through central Spain. Keep an eye on the overnight temperatures for places like Valladolid which on a good day in January is likely to be -4c.

Morocco is a "cold country with a hot sun". If there's no sun, it can be really cold. The coldest I experienced in Morocco was -10c in Azrou (Middle Atlas) but that's unusual. Nevertheless winter mornings will be chilly and same with evenings/nights.

The coldest part of Morocco is Ifrane in the Middle Atlas which is currently unseasonably hot.

Might also be in Morocco in January.

Tim
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Old 22 Nov 2009
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Maybe we'll see you over there Tim! It would be nice to meet up and say thanks for the help you have given for this trip and the previous one.

We're hoping to wuss out and drive through France and Spain - I rode through Spain last time and it was v.cold, don't really rancy that again...

But it kind of looks like a heated vest is probably nice but not essential though since I'm thinking of a xmas pressie here I think I'll try one out and maybe make up a battery pack for the nights since we're hoping to camp though if that actually happens who knows...
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Old 23 Nov 2009
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In my mind it would be useful, but I don't trust them as anything except a comfort item. At minus 5 in decent bike gear you'll be OK for anything from 30 minutes to three or four hours at a time in the saddle depending on your health, age, metabolism etc. At minus ten half that. In summer bike gear with a broken heater underneath you'll be lucky to last an hour before you loose concentration etc. In places where the only way to get a hot drink is to get a stove out I'd want gear that's good for a few hours without cables and plugs working.

I'd start my list with decent thermals, a selection of wool/fleece/silk items, a big bag of high carb/sugary foods and stick the heated jacket on at item ten. If it works you'll ride all day like it's summer, if it doesn't you stop for the hot drink breaks, but nothing that'll ruin the trip.

Interesting story, I wore my heated jacket next to the skin on a winter trip that finished up in Amsterdam. On getting home, the red marks on my back were hard to explain to my wife . You have been warned, they can be fierce!

Andy
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Old 23 Nov 2009
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Seven of us rode south through Spain at the end of 2005 to watch the 2006 Dakar Rally. Six of us had Gerbing heated jackets, the seventh didn't. The different in comfort factors was so great that he got his wife to buy a Gerbing jacket and ship it down to southern Spain for the return journey.

Gerbing heated jackets are ultra-reliable with a life-time guarantee. Gerbing is the best as it includes elements in the sleeves (where I get cold) and also the neck. Ideally you need a thermostat so you don't get too hot.

For a budget jobbie check out Heat4Jackets.com - Heated Jacket Kits for Motorbikes

I definitely agree with packing thermal underwear, especially for nightimes in cold hotels.

Tim
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Old 24 Nov 2009
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The jackets are reliable, it's the cables and plugs that are the problem. I've seen them stood on, melted on the exhaust, knelt on and pulled off by both falling off and simply walking away from the bike while plugged in. I've seen one (Widder I think) that worked fine once we cut the insanely complex and not very waterproof electronic heat controller off.

My advice; rig a plug you can control by means other than pulling it out, use everything rated IP55 or better and get/make a jacket with a "curly" power lead.

Can't wait for the whole ****** lot (jacket, visor, intercom...) to go wireless!

Andy
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